{"id":"01KG8AK8N5WJD6JA9PKN63J7BQ","cid":"bafkreigjlsoaectvfh25v6ykib6k4gmmtjsazwmi2yr3g5omuvaikvduti","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":1107,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:57.722Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 2","source_file":"01KG89J1JMR8XVKPA0G8ADAPC4","start_line":1030,"text":"acquainted.\"\r\n\r\n\"But--but I don't like this going dead against my own memory; I----\"\r\n\r\n\"But didn't you admit, my dear sir, that in some things this memory of\r\nyours is a little faithless? Now, those who have faithless memories,\r\nshould they not have some little confidence in the less faithless\r\nmemories of others?\"\r\n\r\n\"But, of this friendly chat and tea, I have not the slightest----\"\r\n\r\n\"I see, I see; quite erased from the tablet. Pray, sir,\" with a sudden\r\nillumination, \"about six years back, did it happen to you to receive any\r\ninjury on the head? Surprising effects have arisen from such a cause.\r\nNot alone unconsciousness as to events for a greater or less time\r\nimmediately subsequent to the injury, but likewise--strange to\r\nadd--oblivion, entire and incurable, as to events embracing a longer or\r\nshorter period immediately preceding it; that is, when the mind at the\r\ntime was perfectly sensible of them, and fully competent also to\r\nregister them in the memory, and did in fact so do; but all in vain, for\r\nall was afterwards bruised out by the injury.\"\r\n\r\nAfter the first start, the merchant listened with what appeared more\r\nthan ordinary interest. The other proceeded:\r\n\r\n\"In my boyhood I was kicked by a horse, and lay insensible for a long\r\ntime. Upon recovering, what a blank! No faintest trace in regard to how\r\nI had come near the horse, or what horse it was, or where it was, or\r\nthat it was a horse at all that had brought me to that pass. For the\r\nknowledge of those particulars I am indebted solely to my friends, in\r\nwhose statements, I need not say, I place implicit reliance, since\r\nparticulars of some sort there must have been, and why should they\r\ndeceive me? You see sir, the mind is ductile, very much so: but images,\r\nductilely received into it, need a certain time to harden and bake in\r\ntheir impressions, otherwise such a casualty as I speak of will in an\r\ninstant obliterate them, as though they had never been. We are but clay,\r\nsir, potter's clay, as the good book says, clay, feeble, and\r\ntoo-yielding clay. But I will not philosophize. Tell me, was it your\r\nmisfortune to receive any concussion upon the brain about the period I\r\nspeak of? If so, I will with pleasure supply the void in your memory by\r\nmore minutely rehearsing the circumstances of our acquaintance.\"\r\n\r\nThe growing interest betrayed by the merchant had not relaxed as the\r\nother proceeded. After some hesitation, indeed, something more than\r\nhesitation, he confessed that, though he had never received any injury\r\nof the sort named, yet, about the time in question, he had in fact been\r\ntaken with a brain fever, losing his mind completely for a considerable\r\ninterval. He was continuing, when the stranger with much animation\r\nexclaimed:\r\n\r\n\"There now, you see, I was not wholly mistaken. That brain fever\r\naccounts for it all.\"\r\n\r\n\"Nay; but----\"\r\n\r\n\"Pardon me, Mr. Roberts,\" respectfully interrupting him, \"but time is\r\nshort, and I have something private and particular to say to you. Allow\r\nme.\"\r\n\r\nMr. Roberts, good man, could but acquiesce, and the two having silently\r\nwalked to a less public spot, the manner of the man with the weed\r\nsuddenly assumed a seriousness almost painful. What might be called a\r\nwrithing expression stole over him. He seemed struggling with some\r\ndisastrous necessity inkept. He made one or two attempts to speak, but\r\nwords seemed to choke him. His companion stood in humane surprise,\r\nwondering what was to come. At length, with an effort mastering his\r\nfeelings, in a tolerably composed tone he spoke:\r\n\r\n\"If I remember, you are a mason, Mr. Roberts?\"\r\n\r\n\"Yes, yes.\"\r\n\r\nAverting himself a moment, as to recover from a return of agitation, the\r\nstranger grasped the other's hand; \"and would you not loan a brother a\r\nshilling if he needed it?\"\r\n\r\nThe merchant started, apparently, almost as if to retreat.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 2"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJJRS9JWFH12MSZTF7QA5","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JMR8XVKPA0G8ADAPC4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AK8N5R5YF7E61TK0AZ9X8","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AK8MY566832WKV3CXK116","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:58.629Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:05.523Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}